Saturday 19 August 2017

Non Winners at Canberra Quilt Inc. - Craft & Quilt Fair Canberra

Not all quilts entered win a prize, in fact, some display their quilt but decline from being entered in any judging. Browsing around the quilts on display at last week's Canberra Quilt Fair, these quilts took my fancy. NONE of them won a prize, but that does not matter, they are all brilliant. Many of us would like to be as good, correct?
Now, I am not fond of cats (sorry, cat-lovers) but I was drawn to this cutie - the quirkiness and the colour maybe.

Entered in the Art Quilts
LYNDA NIKOLOVSKI
"WHAT'S UP, PUSSYCAT?"
Lynda said: "Lynda, as do most quilters, loves cats. She created this crazy cat quilt, enhanced by her own crazy quilting and embellishments."
The quilting is superb, don't you think? There were so many little cute embellishments, including the rosette necklace too :)
Quilt Measures 104 x 123cm

This next one was not entered for judging but I was drawn to it as it is a pattern we have been showing in our current show seminars demonstrating the X-Blocks.

LARGE QUILTS (Non-Professional)
"ALL THE COLOURS"
KERRY GRAF

Kerry said: "This quilt combines complexity and a rainbow of colours. Pieced using jelly roll strips, each block was cut with a personalised ruler to create the illusion of weaving. The unicorn and border were made from leftover scraps. The design was based on the X-Blocks pattern, "Un-be-weave-able".                                       Quilt Measures 224 x 196cm
This next one I am very proud of. Jakki Cashman is a student of my Westalee Ruler Foot Online Course and Jakki entered her quilt finished from the course. Jakki is always very quick to help others and, indeed, has recommended my Online Course to many other quilters in the Canberra area. Thank you Jakki. The colours are amazing and most liked the back of the quilt better as it was very vibrant and it was actually displayed with the back view showing!!! 
Course is Block by Block over 7 months - do it at your own pace, in your own time.
Closeups



Jakki said: "This quilt was made from fabrics dyed by Jakki in Mary Kennedy's fabulous classes. She used a quilt as your go method that explored an array of possibilities using Westalee Rulers, following an instructive and productive online course run by Punch with Judy."
Now here is the front view, what do you prefer?  
Quilt Measures 160 x 160cm
Jakki is presently overseas, so I hope she sees this Blog. 

Next Course, exclusive to Punch with Judy, 
commences on 1st November




Thursday 17 August 2017

More Winning Quilts from Canberra 2017

Continuing with some of the Winning Quilts from Canberra Quilters Inc display at the Canberra Craft & Quilt Fair last week in Canberra.
Let's look at Group Quilts, Large Quilts and Tiny Treasures.

GROUP QUILT (OPEN)
1st PLACE 
IMPROV WITH GEOMETRY
MEG COWEY entered and listed 12 quilters
Meg said:  "A round-robin quilt with one starter strip, instructions and fabric to continue the theme. Blocks were created but not sewn together until the end of the round-robin. A 2016 year-long project with Quirky Quilters."
Quilt Measures 185 x 160cm

GROUP QUILT (OPEN)
2nd PLACE 
KROSS KUT KAFFE
Mary Kennedy entered and listed 23 quilters
Mary Kennedy said: "Members of the busy Canberra Quilters Modern Quilting Group contributed some Kaffe Fassett and low volume background fabrics. Some fun and creative collaborative piecing and cross-cutting revealed a chaotically intriguing and colourful modern quilt."
KROSS KUT KAFFE also won the MODERN QUILTING AWARD
plus EXCELLENCE IN MACHINE QUILTING (frame system)
Quilt Measures 169 x 154cm

LARGE QUILT (PROFESSIONAL)
1st PLACE 
MY TANGLED GARDEN
JENNY BOWKER
Jenny said: "Jenny's husband, Bob, tends their garden and Jenny likes the way he allows plants to spill over pathways and tangle. She quilts to extend images when piecing cuts them and used this idea with multiple fabrics in a simple quilt."
Also won the Special Award for EXCELLENCE IN MACHINE QUILTING (domestic machine)
Quilt Measures 170 x 176cm

LARGE QUILT (PROFESSIONAL)
2nd PLACE 
ALWAYS FROM HERE
NOBUKO MIYAKE
Nobuko said: "The Scene is the lake near Nobuko's house, where she loves to walk every day and which reminds her of when she first started quilting a long time ago. Always from here."
Quilt Measures 165 x 190cm

TINY TREASURES QUILT (OPEN)
1st PLACE
NO MATTER WHAT THE WEATHER
WENDY SACLIER
Wendy said: "This drizzle-patterned fabric was the inspiration for these 'moon gazing rabbits'. The negative space imagery is ideally suited to chiku-chiku stitching."
Quilt Measures 25 x 25cm

TINY TREASURES QUILT (OPEN)
2nd PLACE
WHATEVER HAPPENS, HAPPENS
ANDREA McMILLAN
Andrea said: "Draw a rough idea, find fabric, draw a neater design, but totally change it; change fabric; change design a bit more; do nothing for three weeks; submit entry form; start making quilt. Yes, that is how a disorganised person whose life has gone a bit haywire does things!"
Quilt Measures 30 x 26cm
(Judy's Note: THAT is Andrea to a tee!)

I hope you enjoy admiring the work of some fabulous quilters - extraordinary quilting!
MORE TO COME - with a little difference.


Tuesday 15 August 2017

Best of Show - Canberra Quilters Inc.

Last week we exhibited at the Canberra Craft & Quilt Fair and thank everyone for your continued support and wonderful comments you have given. The Quilt Displays, Wood Workers, Guilds and other displays were colourful and eye-openers.

BERNINA BEST OF SHOW
BEST OF STATE
1st PLACE ART QUILT (Open)
BEST USE OF COLOUR
was awarded to BRONWYN HILL
for "IGGY"
Bronwyn said: "Iggy (Ignatius), from the Latin ignis, meaning fire, comes the quilt's colour. The background was inspired by the harsh environs of the Galapagos Islands".
Measures 199 x 114cm
Amazing, don't you think? Just examine the detail in the image above.

BEST USE OF EMBELLISHMENT
1st Place MIXED MEDIA QUILT (Open)
HANGERS' CHOICE AWARD
was awarded to DOROTHY CLEE
for "WALLED GARDEN"
Dorothy said:  "On a garden tour of England, Dorothy found the contrast between the old buildings and the softening effect of the living flower beds very inspirational for the creation of a quilt. Many different techniques were used in its construction, including raw edge applique, broderie perse, couching, solvy work and paint."
Measures 114 x 85cm
Dorothy also entered another in the Art Quilts Section and although not a Prize Winner, caught my attention because of detailed three-dimensional aspect, so I took a side view photo of it hoping you may gain feeling of the depth. I couldn't capture it well enough for my liking, but maybe you can use a little imagination. Dorothy's fox is certainly fatter and with a much bushier tail than the wretched ones on our property that kill our baby lambs! Fascinating work Dorothy.
"WATCHING"
by DOROTHY CLEE
Dorothy said: "Behind Dorothy's property is a reserve, with bush country made up of large lichen and moss-covered rocks, many trees and fallen timber. This is a haven for foxes, who find the rocky outcrops a great home. This quilt mainly used batik fabrics and raw edge applique. Detailed with thread painting."
Measures 60 x 85cm

More as soon as possible. 

Stitches & Craft Show is on in Newcastle this week, though Punch with Judy will not be attending. Visit if you can. 17th to 20th August at the Newcastle Entertainment Centre, Broadmeadow from 10.00am to 4.00pm

Tuesday 8 August 2017

Traditional Quilts at Craft & Quilt Fair - Melbourne 2017

Victorian Quilters Inc had several Traditional Quilts entered in their display last month in Melbourne at the Craft & Quilt Fair.

PATRICIA McDONALD
won First Place in the Traditional Amateur section for her quilt
JAPANESE DREAMING 
and also won a Judge's Award
Patricia said "I attended Jan Preston's workshop at Cohuna (Japanese Kaleidoscope) made 1 block, thought table runner will be it but kept going. 
Inspired by Thread Pathway by Indigo Niche Designs and made centre piece for quilt.
Hand piecing, hand embroidery, embellished centre blocks with decorative thread and beads, machine quilted on standard stationary machine."
Quilt is 163cm x 200cm

Retaining the Tradition Award
The Janet O'Dell Award
was won by
NOELENE McGUREN
for her quilt
ALEX'S JOURNEY
Noelene said "My interpretation of a design as seen in "The Fabric of Society" by Annette Gero, made by Mrs. Radin and her son Frank 1880.
Handsewn using English Paper method, hand quilted using stab method. Worked over about 16 months."

It also won Highly Commended
Traditional Professional
Quilt Measures 196cm x 228cm

RUNNER UP
Traditional Professional
was won by
KAREN TERRENS
for her quilt
"CORNFLOWER BLUE"
Karen said "Cornflower Blue is a Diamond Sawtooth quilt - a design which has traditionally been made by the Amish of Pennsylvania. Having quilted a similar customer quilt in red and white colours in 2012, I decided to make my own version using blue and white. Feathers have been quilted to fill the space. A double layer of wadding has been used to create a faux trapunto effect.
Machine pieced, machine quilted on a hand guided, stitch regulated, track mounted system."

Quilt Measures 176cm x 176cm

KAREN also won First Prize
Long Arm Quilters
for her quilt
"SNOW WHITE"
Karen said: "Snow White is a wholecloth quilt and incorporates shadow trapunto. Snow White has cut away trapunto for all the quilting motifs. A blue layer of fabric behind the top layer of batiste has created the pale blue colour. The quilt is based on traditional North Country wholecloth quilts originally made in the lat 1800 through the early 1900's, While based on traditional quilting design, all quilting motifs were re-drafted to make them suitable for machine quilting.
Quilting on a track mounted, stitch regulated, hand guided system."
Quilt Measures:  164cm x 164cm

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE WINNERS 
and indeed to ALL who contributed their quilts to share.
You are ALL WINNERS!

This week in our National Capital, CANBERRA for the Craft & Quilt Fair
Hope you can visit sometime over Thursday to Sunday
We have FOUR fantastic educational seminars daily too.
Come and learn, get inspired, stock up on all your needs and have a great fun day outing.


Friday 4 August 2017

BEST OF SHOW - Craft & Quilt Fair Melbourne 2017

Continuing with Winning Quilts from the Craft & Quilt Fair in Melbourne late last month, presented by the Victorian Quilters Inc. here are the BEST OF SHOW and RUNNER UP.

BEST OF SHOW
"COLOURFUL RETINA"
by SUGY KIM
Sugy said "The eye is the window of the human body through which it feels the beauty of the world and also the sorrow of the world. What a human eye sees is an illusion of what is real. It is the retina of the eye which converts the light into neural signals and sends these signals on to the brain for visual recognition and interpretation. My quilt is the perception of a beautiful life seeing through a colourful retina. Having a colourful retina will always see a positive, happy and bright side of human life.
Hand appliqué, hand and machine piecing, hand quilted. My own original design."
(forgive the black bar through the middle of my photo, that was the barrier prohibiting people from getting too close)

"Colourful Retina" was entered in the Innovative Quilts section, 
for which it won First Place and then was awarded Best of Show.
CONGRATULATIONS SUGY KIM
Quilt measures 207cm x 207cm

RUNNER UP to BEST OF SHOW was
"CAMEO ROSE"
by ELIZABETH ALLEN
whom we all know as "Lizzy Allen"
"Cameo Rose" won First Place in the Mainly Appliqué Professional Section.
PLUS
Longarm Quilting Award
Judge's Award
Lizzy said "Vintage 1930's American Beauty Quilt pattern by Story Time Treasures. I chose to use Sharon Schamber's method of machine needleturn using water soluble appliqué paper. The appliqué fabric is Hoffman hand dye fabrics and peach homespun background. I used a khaki thread to tone down the peach and make it less peachy.
Machine appliqué. Machine quilted by myself on a track mounted, stitch regulated hand guided system."
 Study the border detail
Quilt measures 244cm x 216cm


CONGRATULATIONS LIZZY

Don't forget to visit the Craft & Quilt Fair in Canberra this coming week if you are able to.
We have FOUR daily seminars and shall be also demonstrating various products on our stand too.
Special orders to be taken to the Show 
need to be received by 3pm Friday 4th August, 2017 please.

PUNCH WITH JUDY    STAND A02




Sunday 30 July 2017

BEST PICTORIAL QUILT - CRAFT & QUILT FAIR MELBOURNE 2017

This week we are attending the CRAFT & QUILT FAIR in Melbourne so I am delighted to share with you some beautiful work presented by Victorian Quilters Inc.
Many brilliant quilts from very talented quilters are on display and I shall show you some of the winning quilts, but for this post I will share one which fascinated me as I explored every little detail.

It is no wonder that LINDA STEELE won 
FIRST PLACE IN the PICTORIAL QUILT section 
PLUS the Award for 
EXCELLENCE IN EMBROIDERY & EMBELLISHMENT
'THE BLEACHING'
127cm x 80cm
Linda has won many awards, including some at the International Quilt Festival in Houston, so is well-known for her excellence in design and quilting. I stood in front of her masterpiece absolutely mesmerised looking at the fine detail of her embroidery. So, I took many closeups so as you may appreciate the work involved.
Linda said "Bleaching occurs when sea temperatures rise causing the coral to lose their colour and turn white. Bleached coral eventually dies  and damages the entire eco-system.
Machine applique, hand and machine embroidery, painting on background, machine quilted on a standard stationary machine. My own original design."





I hope you admire Linda's beautiful handwork too.
If you get a chance, pop along to the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre at South Bank on Sunday 30th July for the last day of the CRAFT & QUILT FAIR.

CONGRATULATIONS LINDA STEELE